Here's a dare for long-term couples who are fans of the horror genre: Settle in with your significant other and stream Together. The independent film success of 2025 has now made its streaming debut via Hulu. Outwardly, it may seem like conventional biological terror, but beneath Together lies a intense contemplation about our choices in loving one another.
Together marks the first full-length movie for filmmaker Michael Shanks. It showcases the real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple named Tim and Millie, an unmarried couple that have been together for a decade. Married in reality in 2017, Franco and Brie infuse a unique chemistry to their roles, skillfully embodying both the joys and frustrations of a committed partnership.
The narrative begins when Tim and Millie transition from the urban environment to the country for Millie’s job. A familiar narrative setup, of course, but that’s primarily where the conventions conclude. Together transforms into as much a deep dive into the psyche of the couple's dynamic as it is a movie featuring biological frights.
While hiking near their rural residence, a tempest descends, and Millie and Tim tumble into an subterranean cavern. After spending the night there and eventually escaping, a supernatural entity starts to affect the couple. This force induces a supernatural closeness between them that goes well past simple connection.
The complete narrative is a slow burn of scares, interspersing moments of fever-dream horrors, disturbing (but never too gross) body horror, and authentically humorous interactions (sometimes amidst something disturbing). Shanks skillfully blends these components seamlessly and wraps them up in a gradually swelling sense of impending doom.
A large part of Together is exclusively Brie and Franco, and they skillfully illustrate numerous complexities to the dynamic between Tim and Millie. Millie's sense of self and emotional bond is deteriorating due to a lack of intimacy. Her subconscious resentment of Tim for his unwillingness to pursue anything but his floundering music career gradually emerges.
In contrast, Tim's character feels trapped and cut off by Millie, who’s the reason they’ve relocated rural and distant from his social circle. He fears the notion of utterly sacrificing his individual identity in his partner. This fear is intensified by the circumstance he lacks a driver's license and relies on Millie for getting around.
The film's most intelligent aspect in this movie refrains from painting Tim or Millie the obvious villain.
The couple confront the kind of problems that arise in most partnerships a decade in. At their core, they continue to care for each other. They share moments of joy, offer support, and are vulnerable at times. But below this facade, there’s an unavoidable undercurrent of doubt about their future together.
While the paranormal elements in Together act as a metaphor for these concerns of unhealthy attachment and giving oneself over to a partner, the allegory never feels clumsy or pretentious. Instead, these visceral horror elements provide a perfect parallel to the character-driven drama. Both the frights and the fights enhance each other in a mutually beneficial way.
Together’s ending, which remains unspoiled, has sparked debate on the movie's final takeaway about codependent relationships. Reports indicate that single viewers have understood the narrative as a strong argument for avoiding commitment. Conversely, some couples experiencing tension found that the film actually helped them resolve their issues.
Regardless of your relationship status, your own reaction could potentially serve as a revealing measure of how you think about commitment. Will the finale sow a sense of discomfort and fear, or a positive outlook on love? Will you recognize your own traits in one of the characters and feel frustration, or simply glance toward your partner and state, “We could get through that together”?
Whatever the case may be, Together is an test you can undertake right now.
Together is streaming on Hulu at present.
Elara Vance is a luxury travel expert with over a decade of experience exploring exclusive destinations worldwide.
Arthur Perry
Arthur Perry